Chapter 550

Chapter 550: The Chaotic Federation

The air defense systems of European countries failed to detect the four major troubles that had stirred the entire United States into a volcanic eruption.

Adam acted like an experienced old hunter, patiently looking for opportunities.

The most frightening part was that it had all the time in the world.

So far, Boeing had not revealed any more flaws, hoping that humanity would not give it a chance.

The USB drive taken back by a Boeing mechanic from Jack Wells, a software engineer on the Adam project team, had completely changed its appearance. Even Jack Wells could no longer recognize it as the small USB drive he once used.

After being soaked in drinking water, the outer shell of the standard internal USB drive from Boeing had completely dissolved into water, food coloring, and some other water-soluble substances due to the action of the enzymatic solution. The internal circuits and tiny components like capacitors and resistors also vanished, leaving only a storage chip the size of a grain of rice.

The ability to dissolve circuits in water was not a futuristic technology but an invention by researchers from the University of Illinois and Tufts University.

This grain-sized chip was now hidden inside a false tooth belonging to the mechanic, containing the finalized new version of Adam, completed by Professor Jeffrey Hodge the night before.

The special material used for the false tooth would reflect a consistent homogeneous body under any detector, seamlessly concealing the storage chip.

Even the tightly monitored Area 51 could not uncover the hidden core of the Adam system within the mechanic.

The incident at Boeing and the defection of the F/A-XX could not be kept a secret forever.

After three hours of suspicion and chaos, the Boeing personnel could only announce to the aviation experts teams from various countries that the demonstration was canceled. Everyone had to undergo strict inspections again and was held up at Area 51 for several hours before being allowed to return to their hotel in Las Vegas.

Regarding national security, some of the measures taken against the aviation experts were less than satisfactory. All personal belongings were confiscated for inspections in batches.

Not only was the frustrated gold giant dragon left with nothing, but even Lin Mo could not escape, inexplicably forced to change into a uniform of American soldiers.

Now the original military uniforms from China, America, and Russia were all gathered together.

Protests were ineffective; the Americans politely handed each expert a complete uniform. All the clothing discarded would undergo thorough inspections. Even Boeing staff were not exempt.

The removed clothing would be meticulously recorded for brand and size, and later, identical new clothing would be purchased as compensation for those undergoing inspections. If identical items could not be found, custom-made alternatives would be provided, or cash compensation would be given.

The clothes that were taken off could never be returned; they had to be dismantled for detailed inspections down to the threads.

The various electronic products carried by each country’s experts would be disassembled under limited and recoverable conditions to remove suspicious electronic components, ultimately to be returned to their owners, as they had not been brought into the site and were suppressed in the shielding area, posing the least threat.

All hard drives and data storage devices would be analyzed, even previously deleted data could be recovered through technical means until it was ensured that no threat remained.

These electronic products contained personal privacy, and a country that espoused freedom was unsuitable to confiscate personal privacy. If it was claimed that important data or precious photos were lost by the Americans, it would be a loud outcry indeed. The Pentagon would not only lose money but also face humiliation.

Such strict inspection standards were no longer something Boeing could control; they were entirely operated by the military at Area 51 according to their own standards.

The military also feared that the Adam intelligent core would secretly infiltrate their computer center, which would be truly life-threatening.

If it weren’t for the inhumanity of removing false teeth, the experts from various countries, many of whom were elderly, would have had their implants extracted for inspection, undoubtedly sparking protests worldwide.

These aviation experts were crucial strategic talents for their countries, not mere commoners who could be threatened or ignored.

If America, which always touts human rights, were to engage in such actions, it would be equivalent to pushing itself to the forefront of human rights violations. Any future attempts to use human rights as a pretext for criticizing other countries would lose all meaning.

How could they accuse others when they themselves were not clean?

The ambition of Sima Zhao is known by all.

The U.S. Military’s improper behavior would lead to their allies turning against them, costing them dearly.

All experts were informed that they must remain in America for at least two weeks and would need to cooperate with the investigation at all times.

Although their accommodations and meals were fully covered, and each received a compensation of one hundred thousand dollars, everyone’s faces displayed their dissatisfaction.

Volume 12

Everyone had squeezed out time to come to America to see Boeing’s demonstration, while their busy work back home awaited their attention.

Unexpectedly, Boeing messed up the presentation and involved them in the chaos. When they thought of the F/A-XX fighter jet that had vanished without a trace, the experts from various countries felt a sense of schadenfreude.

The news remained sealed by the U.S. until 9 PM, when the expert teams were finally allowed to board the bus back to Las Vegas.

Apart from their clothing, everything they owned was left at Area 51; the electronic products, money, and bank cards sealed before entering would be returned to them in two weeks.

Lin Mo returned alone but had left the gold giant dragon Gold Coin at Area 51. Because of Boeing, the gold giant dragon was not by Lin Mo’s side for the first time, which made him feel uneasy. The Battle Energy within him flowed subtly, as if he had gone back to the time of constantly being on guard against the coin’s retaliation, but now he felt alert due to its absence.

“Are you nervous?”

Professor Yan noticed his disciple’s inexplicable tension, as if Lin Mo was ready to rush out and fight at any moment.

“A bit!” Lin Mo admitted without hiding his feelings. This was not his home country; it was foreign soil, and there was a lingering sense of hostility with his nation.

“Let’s get to the hotel, have a nice shower, and rest a bit,” Professor Yan suggested, glancing outside at the convoy of armored vehicles alongside and the Apache armed helicopters in the sky. Fighter jets roared past at intervals, and he tapped on the car window, saying, “Our safety is not an issue right now; look how tense they are. They’re the ones who should be worried.”

Rather than being escorted, they were under extreme armed protection—an arrangement that might not even be granted to the U.S. president. The U.S. Military monitored every slight movement within twenty kilometers, and Professor Yan hadn’t even noticed the E-3 warning aircraft laying a comprehensive net of surveillance above.

At this moment, what the Americans feared most was any unexpected complications. They did not want to have the entire world against them; just thinking about such a scenario was frightening.

……

“White Wolf,” the unfortunate fellow, huddled in a hotel in Las Vegas with the “Yellow Sparrow” and the “Fenrir” alloy, feeling nervous and restless.

In fact, after escaping the attack of the Lockheed Cheyenne armed composite helicopter, he had no excitement at all.

This dangerous situation was not the first for White Wolf, nor would it be the last. Like many films, as long as one hadn’t reached the final scene, those who laughed early would not laugh at the end.

After White Wolf abandoned the "Flying Wolf" to escape, the "Yellow Sparrow," having managed to heal, finally found and personally handed over the “Fenrir” alloy.

But after the injury worsened, the "Yellow Sparrow" could no longer hold on and was sent for treatment by intelligence personnel stationed in Las Vegas.

The intelligence personnel who took away the "Yellow Sparrow" were merely peripheral members, responsible for guarding items and communication. They could assist to some extent, but they did not have the capabilities to handle the “Fenrir” alloy; even knowing about it or having contact would spell disaster for them.

Though these peripheral intelligence personnel kept a low profile, they were otherwise indistinguishable from regular people and only enjoyed some secret special allowances. After each operation, they faced a lengthy cooldown protection period, usually lasting over two years.

During this cooldown, no second use would be allowed, which for China’s intelligence network almost meant using one would mean one less.

Fortunately, the peripheral intelligence personnel brought new orders from superiors to White Wolf, instructing him to connect with the military attaché from the Chinese embassy, who was on another task in Las Vegas.

Just after donning a tiger-striped outfit to impersonate embassy personnel, White Wolf hadn’t yet found an excuse to pass on the "Fenrir" alloy when American agents suddenly sealed off the hotel, and the streets outside were filled with hiding weaponry.

“Damn it, they got here so quickly! If they applied this efficiency to catching corrupt officials in China, those embezzlers wouldn’t have a chance.”

White Wolf found himself understandably trapped in the hotel, watching the Chinese military attachés stand off against American agents. Though guns weren’t drawn, the unspoken contest between them didn’t lack in intensity.

Had it not been for Major Mo catching an American agent’s flaw last night, the situation might have devolved into a full-on conflict—using a human wave tactic to sweep them all away and search their bodies. If given the opportunity, the Americans would know nothing of restraint.

This was bad—very bad.

White Wolf quickly devised a plan, transforming the “Fenrir” alloy into a normal-looking metal dinner knife. Fortunately, this alloy had an astonishing degree of malleability, even softer than gold, allowing it to be worked with readily available tools.

It was like modeling clay; with a little effort, he could shape it as he pleased.

He ordered room service, nonchalantly placing the dinner knife on the table, and no one would suspect it was his hard-won loot.